UNESCO Condemns Murder Of Nigerian Journalist

The head of the United Nations
agency tasked with defending press freedom today deplored
the assassination of a senior Nigerian newspaper journalist,
who was shot dead last week.

Koïchiro Matsuura, the
Director-General of the UN Educational, Scientific and
Cultural Organization (UNESCO), said in a statement that
Paul Abayomi Ogundeji is the second member of the editorial
board of Thisday, an English-language newspaper based
in Lagos, to be murdered in two years.

“His killing is a
blow to the basic human right of freedom of expression in
Nigeria,” Mr. Matsuura said, adding that he hoped
authorities would spare no effort in investigating the
killing and bringing the culprits to trial.

UNESCO said
there were conflicting reports about the exact circumstances
of the killing of Mr. Abayomi Ogundeji, who was shot in a
suburb of Abuja, the Nigerian capital, on 17 August. The
journalist has worked for Thisday for three months
and had previously worked for other Nigerian
publications.

UNESCO is the only UN agency with a mandate
to defend freedom of expression and press
freedom.

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